I was on a webinar with Robert Plank recently and he had some great advice using his own experience for how to transition from paid employment to doing business online. Here’s my take of what he had to say…
9 Ways To Get Ready For Quitting
- make sure you pay down your bills so the debt doesn’t hold you back and automate whatever bill paying you can to save time and energy
- learn while you earn … there are probably training courses you can do at work that will help you with your future online business. For example if you’re a policy writer, find out how you can legitimately learn copywriting generally or for the web
- look for things you do at work that you could teach others eg a systematic approach to something or do a video tutorial on how to use a certain tool (learn at work , teach at home)
- knock over any tasks you have to do eg assignments for uni asap so you can concentrate on your web business without nagging deadlines for other things in your head
- NEVER do ANYTHING related to your online business while you are at work – you could get yourself sacked and possibly lose your IP to your employer.
- Be efficient and focused to get things done at work so you avoid working back can get home and do your own stuff with the extra time
- for that reason, don’t tell people what you’re doing – they don’t need to know and it could be detrimental to you … also don;t include people you work with on your lists – they may not realise you used an auto responder to send that email that arrived at 11am and may think you did it at work
- be careful about who you tell in your family and friends – open up only to supportive people
- similarly be careful about getting friends or family to work with you – only do it if their skills and interest is there and if your relationship will withstand it!
Do a Bit of Self Analysis
Make sure before you head into internet marketing full time that you are content within yourself, are highly self motivated and honest with yourself about who you are and what you can do. Being online is going to require high levels of productivity, action-orientation and focused positivity. Develop and practice those capabilities while you’re getting paid at work!
By the time you are ready to quit you will have made enough money online to support yourself and be very clear on what you do, why you do it and who you do it for. A standard 60 second elevator pitch that you need in any business.
Your online business needs to be bringing in new leads every day before you quit your job. When you work on it full time you can build it faster and bigger but have a sustainable base to start from.
Set up as a Business
Incorporate. People feel more comfortable dealing with a business that is seen as legitimate. Talk to your accountant about how to set this up. It may cost but it’s sensible. And it has advantages.
Have Support
An accountability partner. A mastermind group. Get involved with people you can trust, build relationships with and who can help you to grow your business. People who understand IM and can give you advice or keep you honest.
Set Goals
Be really clear on what you want to achieve – for the next year, the next quarter. Know what that will give you and how you will now you’ve got there, especially if it’s not a numerate goal.
Have a Back Up Plan
What’s the cushion you’ll have behind you if things don’t go the way you planned? Have you got some savings? Can you freelance to earn some extra money? What’s the plan to make sure slow months or failures don’t happen or have a crippling impact?
How Do You Get Started While Working?
- Freelance! Get your hands dirty by performing tasks for others in your spare time eg write articles for people, set up a blog for people, seo sites for people, do their social networking mechanics – do whatever you know. Find things you like and get some juice from.
- Produce products from your freelancing – how to guides etc, then set up sales sites for those or put them on clickbank. If it works, do it again and again. Make an upgraded version. Add extra tools to the original product. The quicker you can create products and sell them the faster you grow your business.
According to Plank, and I agree, the only solution to becoming successful in internet marketing is to take action. Do something. But be clever about it. Doing something isn’t continuously reading other people’s stories and being on forums. Sure that helps. But what really helps is putting your oar in the water and actually getting product up, getting sales pages up, getting autoresponder sequences up, getting people on your list, getting paid.
So start
Then when you have some momentum and you are actually generating income and continual leads, then think about whether it’s time to quit your day job to build better and faster and bigger.
OK. Now the biggie…..
What’s the next actionable step you will take to move forward?